The PawPaw Chronicles

What a glorious Christmas weekend we have had!!! Lots of family, fellowship, food, fun and thanking our Lord for our many blessings - most of all His Son. However, no matter where we were the past couple of days there was one repeated element.One thing I have heard over and over and over again. Not "present", not "mine", not anything of the like. I have had my two grandboys around the last few days and if I have heard this once I have heard it a thousand times. "PAWPAW" These two are eaten up with their PawPaw. They follow him everywhere and if one crawls in his lap you can bet the green-eyed other one is close behind. They adore him. And I am sick of it! Oh, they love me too especially when it is snack time or chocolate milk time but for all intents and purposes these two are PawPaw's boys. I think it's because he has the big boy toys. 4-wheeler, tractor, loud truck. Just boy stuff and these two are all boy.

This is where you will find them most of the time - right in PawPaw's lap.

Or building stuff with PawPaw.

Or singing "the PawPaw blues".

"Hey Look how cool we are- making music with PawPaw!"

"Play it again PawPaw!"

"Oh wait for me - I want in your lap too!"

"Is PawPaw coming back soon.? PawPaw? PawPaw where are you? You got out of our sight for 10 seconds and we don't like it! PawPaw"

"GiGi?"

"Yes sweet boys do you want to play with GiGi?"

"Um, no but can you go get PawPaw?"

A boy, his PawPaw and his tractor. Life is great!

But it just got better - I got my own tractor!!!

"Graham who drives the tractor?"

"PawPaw"

Who do you love?"

"PawPaw"

"Anyone else"

"No."

"I just want to be with PawPaw."

So as you can see I have a dilemma. And only Jeremy and Laura can fix it - I NEED A GRANDGIRL!!!!!!

ps - I love that these boys love their PawPaw and he is just as eaten up with them.

How blessed we are and thankful for our precious time with our family!

Blessings from PawPawville,

Michelle

Happy Birthday Jeremy!!!!

Our oldest son's birthday is today! He is a special young man to have such a special birthday. He is 28 years old today - I can hardly believe it. The Lord brought this precious boy into my life when he was just 7 years old. Time flies.

Jeremy,
There aren't words to express how proud your dad and I are of the man that you have become. However, you aren't much different now than you were as a little boy. You have always had a very keen sense of right and wrong - which you were always happy to share with your siblings! You have always loved the Lord and shared that faith with others. Dad and I will never forget the pride we felt at your graduation when you used your time as Valedictorian to share the love of Christ with thousands of people in that arena. Proud! Or the time that one of your peers came to visit Dad and I to tell us that he knew many people who professed to be Christians but you were one of the only people he knew that lived like you were. Man, talk about proud. However, God is the one who gave you all the talents and wisdom that you possess. We are just so thankful we got to play a part in raising you. When you came to live with us it changed us forever. Especially me. I never could have dreamed how much I would love mothering you and taking care of you. That is why you are so rotten and I have to apologize to your precious wife regularly!
You are a son that can be depended on for anything and you have always been there for us. We love you and we love watching you be a daddy to our sweet baby boy. God has blessed  you with much. Remember to whom much is given, much is required. Thank God profusely for all your blessings.

We hope you have a wonderful birthday and we love you so very very much!!!
Dad and M

Baby in a Manger

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

This morning I am in my living room staring at my lights, gazing at my nativities, my decorations, all the presents wrapped under my tree and wondering about that first Christmas morning many years ago. There was nothing but a baby in a manger. No grand hoopla around Him. Just a bunch of animals and hay and dirt. And a baby in a manger. He was out of place in this building for housing animals. "Wrapped in dirty rags cause there was no room for Him in the world He came to save."(while you were sleeping lyric).
My house doesn't look like a stable. It is filled with my treasures and my "stuff". In a couple of days it will be filled with my kids and grandpeeps and I cannot wait! But it is my prayer that in all the hoopla of the day and the ripping open of presents and eating of food, we don't just cast a glance at the baby in a manger. It is my prayer He is the center of our day. Of all our days. Of our lives.
I love my nativity in the picture above because it is what the nativity represents- JESUS! JESUS! Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
May Jesus be the center of your Christmas celebration. Make room for Him and don't just let Him be the baby in a manger. He is the reason for the day and the source of all our blessings. Many are hurting this Christmas season- Christ came to save a hurting world. A baby in a manger who will return as the bridegroom to whisk His bride away!
Hallelujah and Merry Christmas!
Michelle

School's Out For Summer!!!

Really? It is December 21 and we got out for CHRISTMAS vacation today. IT IS 82 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got home and felt like I should weed my flower beds. Of course I then remembered that my vacation just started so I did not do that. Feels like summer. Yuck! It's December. But hang around Christmas day the high will only be 43.
Only in Louisiana!

A Few of My Favorite Things

I adore Christmas time!! I love all the twinkling lights all over my house. Early morning quiet time with my bible, coffee and staring at my lights makes me so content. Wish I could freeze those moments. Here are a few of my favorites this morning:

Our nativity tree nestled in the corner in the dining room. It makes me happy every time I pass it.

I love the theme trees that many people do, however I am a die hard traditionalist. Every ornament on my tree has some special meaning. It was made or given as a gift from someone. This one says, "Our First Christmas Together 1990". My husband and I were dating and he and his three little ones gave this to me. It is still one of my favorite gifts ever received. So thankful that it was the first of many Christmas' together.

We love to put out the things our kids made. Baby girl in all her toothless splendor! She has brought us much joy.

I can't help it - I think these homemade ornaments are the most beautiful because of the precious little hands that made them.

It is hard to see Jeremy in this picture but he will be 28 on Christmas day!

Sweet girla and her big pink bow. Here she is below with her sweet baby boy.

I take our Christmas cards and put them on the tree as I get them.

More sweet faces that I love with all my heart.

Our niece and nephew who are away at Missionary school and are expecting their first little one! I love how their happiness just radiates from them.

Two of my favorite people on earth - my in-loves. So much to be thankful for this year with them. I guess that is another reason I love my tree - it makes me take stock of not only the past year, but also just the past. All that there is to be thankful for. The good and the not so good. What a life of memories our tree holds. Have a blessed Lord's day!

Do you hear what I hear?

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I did. My mama and I took a girls shopping trip to Jackson, MS, just the two of us! We had great fun finishing up our Christmas shopping. I have had myself holed up away from sweet man and baby girl trying to wrap presents for the last few hours! Whew that is a job!! Does anybody besides me shout for joy to the person that invented gift bags??? However, my husband likes everything wrapped as he loves to watch everyone open their gifts and he feels gift bags are anti-climactic. So.... I have to make sure there is a good mix. Compromise - it is what makes a marriage work. :)
While wrapping my gifts I did one of my favorite seasonal things - Listen to my Christmas music!!!! I thought it would be fun to hear what everyones all time favorites are. I love me some traditional Christmas carols - O Holy Night is probably my favorite - however, I do have a few tunes that get me in my core. You know what I mean - ones I have to play so loud it is rocking the windows and I play them over and over. Baby girl is embarrassed to pull into the parking lot at school with me every morning! Here is my list of must haves right now:

"Little Drummer Boy" - Josh Groban - my goodness the orchestration of this causes me to pretend I am a cymbal player, orchestra conductor and a drummer boy. All while I am supposed to be driving. No wonder I cause my children dismay.
" It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" - Again Josh Groban - the beauty of this song is amazing. Simple, beautiful, heavenly.
"While you Were Sleeping" - Casting Crowns - I don't even know what to say about this one - If you have never heard it - find it and play it until you are brought to tears over a God that came into a world that made no room for Him who came to save us all.
"Jesus Saves" - Travis Cottrell - Have you ever heard a song that made you want to get saved all over again? This one is it for me. Play it and play it loud till your insides are vibrating. That is how much I love this song.

Now that you all think I am weirder than you suspected, tell me what you replay this Christmas season.

Christmas Blessings,
Michelle

Things Pondered

I finally got all my Christmas decorations up yesterday. I know, I know some people have had theirs up for a month. Still need to do a little more work to my trees, but that is not what this post is about. Those who have been to my house know that at Christmas time you will find a lot of Nativities. A LOT! The first Christmas of our married life my sweet man bought me my very first one. Does anyone remember Wicks and Sticks in the mall? That is where my first nativity came from. He spent what was a small fortune on it at the time. Funny, as I was dragging out box after box of decorations I remembered how we had hardly any decorations that first Christmas. I collected pine cones and shellacked them and hot glued bows to the end of them and hung on our tree. It was beautiful in its sparseness. I had no idea how much this nativity would affect me.

I was not saved that first Christmas of our marriage. I had walked the aisle way back in my pre-teen years at church camp. More out of fear of going to hell and being the only person left in the pew than by a conviction to receive Christ. I had grown up in church. Knew all the Bible stories one should know, all the hymns - loved the hymns -all the right "church" things a good church going girl should know. Did I believe in God - well of course I did. But,  did I believe Him? Did I believe that:

Luke 2:11-12

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you (emphasis mine); He is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

I do now. So you see, now when I gaze around my house and see the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, I marvel and am humbled to my core that the Creator of the universe, the One who set the earth on its axis, who parted the waters from the firmament, CHOSE to come to earth wrapped in flesh to live just so He could die, just so I can live for eternity with Him. Oh what a Savior!

Sweet man has bought me one every year since. Some extravagant, some not so much. This is my new one for this year. It is hand painted and absolutely breathtaking. I can't quit staring at it.

Gorgeous, isn't it? I wonder if that is what the shepherds thought as the whole sky lit up and their ears were blessed with a heavenly chorus of angels announcing a departure from heaven but an entrance to earth. I have this crazy notion that when we get to heaven we will be able to check out DRM's. Bear with me here!  Divinely Recorded Moments. As I read some stories in my bible my imagination runs rampant with the movie in my head of what it all was like. I so, so hope that God allows us to see on the biggest flat screen ever - the firmament - with special effects that we can't comprehend- the real thing as it happened. Some DRM's I think I can forego , but some - oh I can't wait to see what those shepherds saw and hear what they heard! More than I can bear to think about.

This year I have a nativity tree. I have many nativity ornaments and that is all that is on this particular tree. I am not done with it but I love it so much already. This nativity was my mother-in-loves for many years and she passed it on to me a few years back. It is at the base of the nativity tree. I treasure it so much.

This is my mantel. No nativity but isn't it pretty?!

Another of my favorites. Jim Shore is a talented craftsman.

I shouldn't have put this on here because it isn't done but I couldn't help myself.

My nativity's give me perspective on what this season is about. They calm me, soothe me, and remind me of what Luke 2:17 tells me - "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child."

What about you? Have you met Jesus yet? If so, tell others. Tell them your experience with Him. Tell them what the Bible says about Him - He is the Savior, Christ the Lord. And He has been born to YOU!

O' Come Let Us adore Him!!!

Blessings,
Michelle

40 Years

Thanksgiving day was my mama's birthday and also her anniversary.  The Lord blessed me with four wonderful parents, and this particular set celebrated 40 years of marriage. He didn't just marry her he married me too! I often say he got a package deal. Mama was the package and I was the deal!

 Don't they look like babies! My mama is beautiful. Even more so now than she was then.

This was them on Friday night when all the "fruit" of their forty years got together to celebrate them. They are the most generous, kind  people I know and we love spending time with them.

Here they are toasting each other.

This is a cake my sister ordered and it was so delicious. We have eaten so much over the last week I am going to have to go to food rehab. The bell topper on this cake is the one that was on their original cake and my sisters and I all three used it on our wedding cakes.

The house was full of people who love my parents. Here is my sweet daughter-in-love, my daddy's sister and my mama's sister-in-law. They are all a blast to be around.

My sweet sisters and myself. We truly are the joy of our parents lives! That, or the bane of their existence! Depends upon which day you ask them! We each gave our parents their share of grief. Them more than me! Not really, our parents disciplined us but loved us tremendously. They love our husbands like they are their own sons and tell them that often.

Brother and sister. I love that they enjoy being together.

Connor just got back from putting out deer corn. :)

Graham is just - well look at him - he is just darling!

My mama, me, my girls and my grandpeeps.

Mama is always ready to offer her advice and wisdom when asked. After dinner she shared with us what the last forty years have been to her. We were thankful she didn't say it was like wandering in the wilderness! However she did let us know that marriage is hard but if you stick with it you do reach the Promised Land and it is much better than any fairy tale you think about when you are a newlywed. She told us that marriage is not spelled "happy" but "commitment". True that. My parents have been the best kind of example when it comes to persevering through the tough times and marriage is tough. But so worth it.

Mama and Daddy,

We all love you both so much and are so thankful for the blessing you are to each of our lives. Happy Anniversary and we can't wait until your 50th, when Daddy takes us all to Hawaii!!Wink, Wink. We all know it will probably be to the deer stand but that is okay too!

Love,

Michelle

The Day After

Seriously, I am still so full  from yesterday I don't know when I will be able to eat another bite. Wait a minute, I saved MawMaw's cranberry salad for my breakfast today. Maybe I can eat that. Oh yeah, and I was going to eat some of my brother-in-law's ham in one of my HOMEMADE rolls. Guess the binge will continue through today!

We had a great time of fellowship yesterday with a house full. The best part was my sweet father-in-love being with us, healthy, happy, and OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. Thank you Lord. We all had much to give thanks about and just a great time being together. Here are some pics from our day:

Our silly sweet girla!

My nephew, brother-in-law, and Daddy discussing something about deer hunting I am sure.

Great Paw and sweet baby Graham.

One table full of happy eaters.

People think Savannah must not eat a lot because of her stature - Ha! Look at her plate! Connor wanted to be at the head of this table. Thought provoking question from him for the day - "Gigi, do turkeys have boogers?" Gigi-"Not the one I cooked sweetheart. I made sure it was a booger free turkey." Him -"Okay, good."

Christine in her glasses I got her for her Saints game trip last weekend. She is a doll. Kind of resembles Harry Carey though in these shades!

Savannah and her sweet Nannie. My sweet other mother.

Game time is a must at our house. We all love to play games, cards, dominos, just about anything and for the first time in many years no one got furious with anybody else.

Uncle Josh is so much fun for the nephews. They love him and he loves them.

Graham is all about loving his PawPaw and giving him kisses. Sweet.

Graham and his momma!

I hope you and yours had a blessed day and now it is time to deck the halls! Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra -(A Christmas Story - gotta love it!)

Blessings,

Michelle